Navajo Trail Open will turn 51 at Hillcrest Golf Club

It’s official: The 2013 edition of the Coca-Cola of Durango Navajo Trail Open moves into the second half century this weekend.

The 51st annual event at Hillcrest Golf Club is the crown jewel of Durango tournaments, as it brings together not only some very good grapefruit circuit professionals but also some of the best amateur golfers from all over the Four Corners and beyond.

The weather should not be a factor this week, unless you’re allergic to hot temperatures. The grounds crew has been busy spot-watering and buttoning down the final touches to the mesa-top course in preparation for nearly 220 avid ball chasers.

With this popular event comes course closure to regular-play golfers from Thursday through Sunday. However, if you are a follower of great, suspenseful golf, then spectators are welcome to observe some of the region’s best. The Pro-Am is Thursday, followed by the 54-hole Open portion Friday through Sunday.

I need to sneak in a couple of tournament reminders before we get swept up into NTO mania. The Columbine Classic Duet tournament will be held June 19-20 at Dalton Ranch Golf Club. The field is limited to the first 100 golfers, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. both days.

The other event, which will tee off July 27 at Hillcrest, is the 32nd edition of the Randango Golf Classic. I mention this early because of the fact the entry deadline is right around the corner July 12. This event gives proceeds to deserving student-athletes who go on to pursue academic and sports endeavors in college. Thousands upon thousands of scholarship dollars have been awarded over the last three decades. And to think this all got started with the dead bug dance on a very lucky green!